Andrew Majtenyi makes a subtle commentary on the future of the economy with a cautiously optimistic collection for fall-winter 2010.

Taking the briefest of cues from the 1940s, this Canadian designer injects the post-recession look with humour. We see cute 40s stencil prints of dog walkers and silver birch in watercolours and on feminine floaty dresses with demure necklines, and lightly defined shoulders and waists in mottled pink and grey. These touches add a colourful pop to his work-appropriate collection.

The monochromatic suits deliver surprise with mega pockets, velvet embroidery, and box pleats at the elbows and knees. To highlight his precise cuts and vision, Majtenyi uses a variety of fabrics, including a wool knit that can look variably like fresh snow, texture in a frozen waterfall, or mesh latticework. Case in point: a heathery wool knee-length dress with sharp printed inserts, paired with a grey swirly skirt suit. Teamed with skinny waist-nipping belts and translucent pleated tees, the versatile office looks have sex appeal reminiscent of Helmut Lang.

With this collection, Andrew Majtenyi firmly states that the beauty of well-made classics need not be flashy, but will lie in its fit and movement.